Yes, I will give credit to Shelby Foote; who did a great job on his set of chronologies of that terrible period of our history....  Mr. Lincoln first used "civil war"  publicly in his Gettysburg Address...  It was called by many terms, The War of Southern Rebellion, The  War of Secession,  The War for Southern Independence, The War of Northern  Aggression,  and The War between the States...  Just to name some...  I how ever choose the latter, since it reflects that period most accuractly...   By definition a "civil war" is fought within a country, by different groups or factions trying to take control of the main government or governing body of that country...    The Confederacy had seceded and did not want to take control of the Northern States. Nor did they want to control any of the Union territory...  They just wanted to be left alone..... Therefore it was not a civil war... No matter who said what....   DUH....  Got it.... These are the facts.....